In The Beginning: One
by Voyager Tip
Summary: In their earliest voyages, Jeff and Bogg had many things to sort out. Jeff hadn't had any emotional support for a long time, and Phineas had lost his guidebook & was voyaging illegally with a kid. This is how their first few voyages might have gone.
1. Climbing To The Summit

_Author's Note: I wanted to get back to basics with this story, so I tried to imagine what the first voyages of Phineas and Jeffrey would have been like. They didn't know much about each other, and Jeff had a lot of emotional baggage, not only from the sudden loss of his parents, but from his aunt's neglect. Poor Phineas didn't have much experience with kids and had lost his guidebook and was violating the code by traveling with a civilian. They must've had a lot to sort out._

_Also, I wanted to try my hand at writing different "points of view" and this story seemed to lend itself to that. So, as they experience their first few voyages together, I've tried to write their differing points of view. This story takes place after the Battle of Hastings at the end of the Pilot episode, long before Episode 2: Created Equal. _

**Chapter 1 Climbing to the Summit**

**Day**

Phineas Bogg and Jeffrey Jones landed on a steep path on a trail through the woods and both started to slide downhill on the loose stones. Bogg reached for a small tree trunk with one hand and Jeffrey's arm with the other, and suddenly they stopped sliding.

They stared at each other and then at their surroundings for a second before Bogg spoke.

"See if you can climb up and sit on that rock," he said, motioning with his head. Immediately, Jeff began making his way to the rock and as his weight left Bogg, the older man moved in the same direction.

"Some landing!" Jeff exclaimed as he settled on the ledge and waited for Bogg.

Bogg opened the omni "September 13th, 1901, the Adirondacks," he paused to catch his breath. "Any ideas kid?"

Jeff's brow furrowed as he thought. He had only met Bogg for a few days, and he was determined to be an asset to him, always an asset, but he couldn't quite remember about this place and date. In Bogg's line of work, those were two very important things, and Jeff was disappointed in himself. Bogg's job was to fix things so history would stay on track. Jeff's job was to help him and never be a problem. After this landing, where Bogg had needed to hold him to prevent him sliding down the trail, he felt like a failure instead of an asset, and he was anxious to redeem himself. It was important that he get this right, so he continued to concentrate.

"I do know this date," Jeff said suddenly. "Tomorrow, William McKinley dies," he announced proudly.

"Who's he?"

Jeff looked at Bogg in surprise, "President William McKinley?" he asked. He was unable to keep the surprise out of his voice, and he hoped Bogg didn't mind too much. He didn't mean it in a bad way, in fact Jeff was secretly glad that Bogg wasn't very good at history, because it made Jeff's knowledge more valuable. After all, it would be harder for Bogg to send him away if he needed him. He wondered nervously, just how long it would take for Bogg to get a replacement Guidebook.

"Did he die in the woods?" Bogg asked, looking around.

"No, in Buffalo, NY. He was shot twice while he was standing in a receiving line. One of the bullets just grazed his chest, but the other went into his stomach. He died of an infection 8 days later."

Bogg stared at him, "anything else?" he asked in an amused tone.

"Most historians think that if the doctors hadn't poked at the wound with dirty hands, he might have lived." He paused uncertainly, "nothing else I can think of."

"So what are we doing in the Adirondacks?"

As Jeff took a breath to give an opinion, they heard a faint shout.

"Help," it could barely be heard.

Bogg jumped to his feet, looking around, trying to figure out which direction to go.

"Where are you?" he yelled loudly, and they paused to wait for a response.

"Help, the cliff, help" the man's voice repeated.

"It's further up the trail," Jeff said and they both started up the steep, rocky trail, Bogg in front, traveling as fast as he could toward the distressed voice.

As the trail leveled off, Bogg paused and looked around. The land dropped off precipitously on one side, and halfway down the cliff, a young man lay on a narrow rock ledge. He had fallen and was wedged between a large tree growing out of the side of the cliff, and the cliff itself. He was unable to move.

"Hang on," Bogg called down and glanced around. He could see Jeffrey just reaching the top of the hill and called out to him, "stay up here, I'm gonna try climbing down to him, maybe I can get him out of there."

Jeff watched as Phineas started descending the steep slope. He reached the man quickly and pulled him up and out of the narrow gap between the tree and rock.

"Can you climb?" Bogg asked.

"Yeah."

Together, they made their way slowly back up the slope and when he got close enough to the top, Jeff reached down and offered him his hand to help pull him up the last bit.

"I can't thank you enough," the young man gasped as he collapsed onto the ground.

"No problem," Bogg answered. "It's not safe to hike alone you know."

The man smiled, "I've gotta be going, thanks again," and as they watched he took off, running up the trail.

"No wonder he fell," Bogg remarked, taking the omni from his belt. "Can't still be red," he said, and Jeff could hear the familiar sound of the red light.

Suddenly Jeff snapped his fingers, "he's a runner, not a hiker," he said as if that would explain everything.

"A runner?" Bogg asked, perplexed, "why is he running? It's too dangerous to run on this trail." He smiled as the kid began to explain. He had been amazed at Jeff's knowledge of history since they met.

"He's running with a message for Teddy Roosevelt," Jeff answered proudly.

"Keep going kid," Bogg's told him, still not understanding.

"Bogg, Teddy Roosevelt is Vice President. McKinley was shot and died on September 14th. This guy's got to be delivering the message to Teddy to get back to Buffalo."

"Why is it still red then?"

"I don't know, maybe something else happens to him," Jeff answered and shrugged.

"Well, I guess we should follow him then," Bogg said and started up the trail.

The path was steep and rocky. It didn't take Bogg long to realize they were climbing to the summit of a mountain. He glanced back at Jeff, who was lagging behind a bit, then slowed his pace so the boy could keep up. It was not an easy climb, and he imagined that Jeffrey was very tired and sore, but the kid never complained.

This was a slower pace than he would've kept up had he been alone, and he found that it gave him time to look around. He noticed the trees changing color and the crisp blue of the sky. He'd never slowed down to notice those kinds of things before and he smiled to himself. It was nice to take it a bit easy, to enjoy the journey instead of being constantly driven to one destination and then the next. He spotted what looked to be an abandoned cabin alongside the path and thought that it would be a good place to spend the night. Ordinarily he would just find the most comfortable spot he could and lie down, but now, he felt that he had to provide a bit more than that for the kid's sake, if he could.

Finally they heard a familiar sound and Phineas stopped climbing. Jeff reached him, so out of breath that he bent over, unable to speak at first.

"It sounds like a moan this time," Bogg said glancing around, "but from where?"

They had stopped at the base of a particularly steep part of the trail. On two sides there were cliffs rising above them. The moaning sounds seemed to be bouncing off every rock. It was impossible to tell the direction from the sound.

They scanned the area intently. "There," Jeff said finally and pointed up and off the trail to their left. It looked like the runner had made it up the trail, but slipped or stumbled at some point and lost his footing. He lay in some bushes that had grown sideways, out of the steepest section of the cliff. They had broken his fall and probably saved his life, but this time it was obvious that he was injured, and based on the moaning, Jeff didn't think he'd be finishing the run.

He watched as Bogg made his way off the trail and up the cliff. He approached the man cautiously.

"How bad is it?" he asked.

"I think my leg's broken, I'm done for," the man answered.

"We'll get you help," Phineas said, reaching toward him and squeezing his shoulder. He knew he wouldn't be able to move the man this time without help. "We can deliver the message too."

The man stared at him in shock. "How do you know about the message?"

"Roosevelt hired me as a second runner, just in case there was an important message that had to get through. That's why I was following you on the trail," Bogg lied smoothly.

The man nodded, "he had a bad feeling about the president. He told me on my last trip up," the man agreed, then he put out his hand. "Bill Curry," he said.

"Phineas Bogg, and that's Jeffrey Jones," he said pointing back toward the trail where Jeff was sitting on a rock resting.

Curry reached into his pocket and handed Bogg an envelope, "better deliver this then," he said.

Bogg took it, "we'll send a group back to get you out of here," he said and pocketed the letter before heading back to Jeff.

"What's happening?" Jeff asked.

"We have to get this," and Bogg held up the envelope, "to the Vice President."

Immediately Jeff turned and led the way up the trail. It was as steep as any trail Phineas had hiked, and Jeff paused to rest many times during the climb. As they climbed, Phineas could see the sweat through Jeff's shirt, and hear him breathing hard. He was impressed that Jeff rested frequently enough to allow him to maintain a steady pace. Most people would have attempted to travel faster and burned themselves out long before the ascent was completed.

After an hour, the trail finally flattened out and they smelled a campfire and headed for it.

Jeff stopped as they approached the camp. His legs ached and he wanted to sit down and rest but Teddy Roosevelt was standing less than ten yards from him and he was suddenly unsure what to do. He felt Bogg tapping him on the shoulder, and when he turned, felt the note being pushed into his hand.

"Well, give it to him," Phineas instructed with amusement in his eyes that Jeffrey didn't notice.

"Me?"

"He's your president."

Jeff paused and then cautiously approached the famous man. "Mr. Vice President?" he asked.

"You're just up from the telegraph station?" was the curt question.

Jeff handed him the note, "yes, sir," then stepped away. He didn't want to say too much, he knew he could change history accidentally if he did.

He watched Roosevelt open the note and read it aloud to his aide,

_"The president appears to be dying and members of the cabinet in Buffalo think you should lose no time coming."_

Bogg watched in awe as Jeffrey mouthed the words of the famous message as Roosevelt read it. He knew that Jeff hadn't seen it before this moment. How in the world could the kid have known it?

Roosevelt finished the note and then looked up and his eyes met Jeffrey's. "I know you," said the Vice

President. Jeff shook his head in shock, but the moment passed as the Vice President began to shout orders.

"Mr. Skully, prepare for a descent, I must get back to Buffalo."

Jeff backed away toward Bogg and they watched the camp spring to life.

"Come on," Bogg whispered, tapping his arm and Jeff followed him to an army Sargent who did not appear to be involved with the emergency descent. Bogg explained where the injured runner lay and stayed until a rescue unit was dispatched. Then he moved to the periphery of the camp and found the cook while Jeff sat down on a nearby rock to rest. When he returned he carried a brown satchel.

"What's that?" Jeff asked as Bogg sat down beside him.

"Supper," Bogg answered as he opened the omni. "Green light," Bogg announced, "we did it."

"Yep," Jeff agreed, then suddenly he felt a chill. The sun was setting and the wind had picked up. They both realized it would get cold quickly up on this mountaintop.

"Come on," Phineas instructed, and started to walk to the trailhead.


	2. Restless Sleep

**Chapter 2 Restless Sleep **

**Evening**

Phineas Bogg was impressed again not only with Jeffrey's knowledge of history, but with his general demeanor throughout the day. He had been totally committed to finding the problem with the time stream and fixing it. He could have complained about the difficult climb, or been unable to complete it. He could have said a lot to Roosevelt, but he hadn't. Instinctively, he had seemed to know how to pace himself on the trail, and what and how much to say to a Vice President. Bogg had to admit he'd enjoyed working with him. As they walked down the trail, he put his hand on Jeff's shoulder. He knew the kid had to be exhausted, and he wanted to get him back down the trail to the cabin for a well-deserved rest.

Jeff felt the hand so casually placed on his shoulder and struggled to keep his feelings in check. His father had done that very thing more than once and he didn't want to cry. Whatever happened, he couldn't let himself be a problem for Bogg, and his aunt had taught him that crying, or showing any emotion at all was a big problem and would not be tolerated. If his own aunt didn't want any of that, he was sure that a stranger, who wasn't even a relative, wouldn't tolerate it either. After all, Bogg had no reason to keep him, except to help him solve historical problems.

His parents had been just the opposite of his aunt. He'd enjoyed a close, physical relationship with both of them, and as he continued to feel Bogg's hand on his shoulder, the memories of many loving embraces rushed to the surface. He took a deep breath and tried to push them away and make his mind a blank as best he could.

The cabin looked like it had been recently used, with some firewood near the door. As soon as they entered and looked around, Jeffrey spoke.

"I'll look for some more firewood," and he went outside and began his search, glad for time alone to conceal his emotions. He knew he'd need to redeem himself for climbing so slowly, and for needing help on the landing. He was determined to be a help to Bogg, always a helper and never a problem. He wished he could just climb into a bed and sleep, but knew if he was going to stay with Bogg, he would have to do more than his share of the work. After all, if Bogg ever wanted to get rid of him, it would probably be an easy thing to do. Jeff had to make sure that Bogg wouldn't want to do that. He'd decided back in Dayton that he'd rather stay with Bogg than be anywhere else, especially back with his aunt.

He thought back over the day. He HAD helped to solve this problem, but somehow, compared to how much trouble he felt he'd been, it didn't seem to even out. He had climbed slowly and rested often. He hadn't climbed to where that runner was trapped either time, and he hadn't even carried the envelope up the trail. He just had to keep trying to do better.

Though he felt exhausted, he searched in earnest, and before long he had added substantially to the pile of wood that was already outside the door. He went back inside. "I think we have enough for the night now," he announced.

"Great," Phineas answered. He already had a fire going and motioned Jeff to sit beside him. He opened the sack the cook had given him and tore the hunk of bread, handing half to Jeff. "Why don't you start on this while I get some water from the stream," he said. He had been amazed that Jeff had volunteered to gather the wood, considering how tired he appeared.

"I can get it," Jeff said immediately and took the canteen from the table and headed for the door. The stream wasn't far away, and this was something else he could do to be useful. Besides, he'd learned that the more tired he was, the less likely he was to have a bad dream. He knew he couldn't let himself have nightmares while he was with Bogg. That would be a huge problem.

He could still hear his Aunt Elizabeth's words _'don't think I want to lose any sleep just because you have nightmares'_. Jeff had learned that lesson well too. He made sure that he slept in the room farthest away from hers, so if he did have a nightmare, she was never close enough to hear it. But that strategy wouldn't work with Bogg. He slept in the same room as Jeff, so Jeff had vowed to try to be exhausted as much as he could. It really was a good plan, Jeff thought to himself, because he could work hard to be useful, and then be so tired that he would sleep through the night. Bogg never had to know how disturbed his sleep could be.

He brought back the water and ate the rest of the bread and half the meat Bogg had laid out. Then he glanced around and noticed that there were two cots against the wall. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said with a yawn and lay down on one of them and closed his eyes. He was asleep moments later.

Phineas watched him suspiciously. Getting the firewood without being told was surprising, and he'd been grateful. After all, Phineas would've had to do it if Jeff hadn't. But rushing to get the water seemed a bit over the top. He knew Jeff was exhausted, he should have let Phineas get the water, it was only fair.

_'He's hurrying to do every task without even being asked, it's like he's afraid he'd be whipped if he didn't,'_ Phineas thought, _'like he's my slave'_. This turn of thought made Bogg feel more than a bit uncomfortable. He knew nothing about Jeff's living arrangements after his parents' accident and supposed it was possible that he had been mistreated. That thought caused his stomach to turn over suddenly. A rush of adrenaline coursed though his veins as he realized that he could never allow such a thing to happen. It was an intense feeling of protectiveness, and it surprised him. especially when he considered that he hadn't even known Jeffrey a week ago.

_'Maybe all kids volunteer to do chores like this,_' Bogg thought to himself as he calmed down, then paused, _'no, definitely not._' Something just didn't add up, but he couldn't think what that was. He thought back over the events of the day and nothing occurred to him except that the kid knew what that runner was supposed to do. It had been a great help and he'd been very impressed once again. The kid had even recited the contents of the telegram to himself as Roosevelt read it.

**Night**

Phineas shook his head. He didn't understand this kid yet, and he was tired himself. _'Well, time will tell'_ he thought. Experience had taught him that if you spend enough time with someone, sooner or later you'd get to know them. He would just have to wait it out with the kid. He threw some more wood on the fire and lay down to rest on the other cot. As he lay there staring at the fire, the thing he'd been trying to avoid considering, forced itself into his mind. Roosevelt had said, _'I know you._'

"Couldn't be, it just couldn't be," he whispered out loud to the fire, "there's just no way." His thoughts were racing now. If Roosevelt did know Jeffrey, it would mean... he forced himself to stop that train of thought. Yes, it was true that he wasn't getting rid of the kid right at this moment, but now wasn't a good time. He would know when the time was right. He glanced at the kid sleeping on the cot nearby and tried to clear his head. This situation was just too much to think about when he felt so tired. They were safe here for now and he needed to get some sleep.

ooOoo

He awoke with a start. Soft noises drifted to his ears and he sat up. The fire had burned low, but the moon was bright and he could see Jeff moving around on the other cot. Phineas got up and went to him. He was asleep, but very restless, and his arm felt cold to the touch. He glanced around and spied a cloth cover over the woodpile inside the door. _'I should've covered him over,_' he thought.

As he spread the cover over Jeffrey, the boy moved again and whispered 'no', and Bogg realized his restlessness wasn't only because he was cold. He was dreaming, and the dream wasn't pleasant.

He reached out and touched Jeff's arm and then rubbed his shoulder. "It's okay," he whispered the words instinctively, and was surprised when Jeff quieted down almost immediately. Bogg took his hand away and continued to sit on the cot watching Jeffrey as he slept. After a short time, Jeff started moving around and mumbling again. He rolled onto his stomach and Bogg put his hand on his back. Once again, he quieted down quickly.

Phineas Bogg sat beside him, thinking. He was still very tired himself and wondered how he could keep his hand on the kid and still be able to sleep himself. Finally he stood up and pulled his cot over beside Jeff's and lay down on it, resting his hand on the boy's back. It seemed to be working so he closed his eyes and dozed off.

**Day** ooOoo

The sun was just rising when Phineas awoke. His hand was still on Jeff's back and the boy was sound asleep. He got up and pulled the cot back across the room and put some kindling on the fire to bring it back to life. Then he lay down again, to relax and wait for Jeff to wake up. Yesterday had been so tiring he thought it was only fair that he get some extra sleep.

ooOoo

Jeff opened his eyes slowly and realized it was morning. Then, he glanced around and saw Bogg sitting on the other cot.

"You should've woke me up," he said, hopping out of bed. He didn't want Bogg to think for a minute that he couldn't keep up.

"No need," Phineas smiled as he spoke, "I was just enjoying the peace." The truth was, he hadn't had the heart to wake the kid. It felt good to know he was letting him get some much-needed sleep. It was a strange feeling for a Voyager who had always worked alone.

"The rest of our food's on the table, have some breakfast," he invited Jeff.

"Did you eat?"

Phineas nodded and watched Jeff hesitate, then descend upon the table and devour what was left of last evening's food.

After breakfast, Jeff stood beside Phineas and held his arm while he pushed the button on the omni.


	3. Johnstown

**Chapter 3 Johnstown**

They landed hard on the roof of a 2-story brick house in a light rain. Though the building seemed stable, everything they could see around them was moving. The building was surrounded by water, which had risen to about 10 feet below the level of the roof. It was moving quickly, carrying debris of all types, including dead animals. Two cows floated by within a minute of their landing. Some of the debris smashed directly into the building and broke apart with the force of the current, and some traveled swiftly by on either side.

"Where are we?" Jeff asked, trying not to let his voice give away his fear.

Bogg opened the omni, "Pennsylvania, May 31st, 1889, red light," Bogg told him.

Jeff reached for Bogg's hand and tilted the omni so he could see it clearly. "This is Johnstown, Pennsylvania Bogg," he exclaimed.

"So?" Bogg had been to so many disasters that he felt like he didn't really need to know the specifics. They probably had to save somebody from this flood, and he could do that without knowing the town's name.

"The Johnstown Flood!" Jeff raised his voice to underscore the seriousness of the situation.

"I can see it's a flood," Bogg answered.

"Bogg, the Johnstown Flood was the worst flood in history. Over 2,000 people died. Ninety-nine entire families died. Practically the whole town was washed away," Jeff paused uncertainly, "or will be," he finished sadly glancing around at the surrounding water and rooftops.

"Hey, help!" the sudden shout got their attention and they both saw a boy of about 16 squatting on what looked like the roof of a barn as it rushed toward them. The boy moved to the side that would pass closest to them as Bogg moved to the edge of the roof, but they could both tell they wouldn't be able to reach each other. They would be just a little too far away when the barn roof passed the house.

Suddenly Jeff was tugging on Bogg's arm, "hold onto me, he can grab my foot," Jeff said and proceeded to sit down on the edge of the roof and stick out his leg toward the boy who was approaching quickly, carried by the swift current of the flood waters.

Grasping this idea immediately, Phineas took hold of Jeff's hands and allowed him to sit on the very edge of the roof so his legs could reach as far as possible toward where the boy would pass.

"Get ready," Bogg called out as the rain poured down and the boy was swept close enough to jump toward Jeffrey. As he landed on Jeff he grasped his lower leg and held on tight. Jeff was pulled down, off the roof and slammed against the wall of the house as the full weight of the stranger fell on him. Bogg did his best to protect him, but he had nothing but his own body as a counterweight and had to lean away from the edge. If he fell off the roof, they would all be done for. He held Jeff's arms tightly and felt the kid's hands clamped onto his forearm with surprising strength. As the rain blurred his vision, he hauled Jeff and then the stranger up slowly and pulled them onto the roof.

The three of them lay side by side, exhausted and breathing hard for a few moments.

"Thank you," gasped the boy as he reached first for Jeffrey's hand and then Bogg's to shake them. "You saved my life, I'm Victor Heiser."

"Jeffrey Jones," Jeff said taking his hand even though his arm ached terribly. Mercifully, the rain suddenly eased up and he could speak in a normal tone, "no problem. How'd you get on top of that barn?"

"I," Victor paused and took a deep breath, "I was in our barn and saw my father motioning from the upstairs of our house to get up on the roof. I barely made it in time, and then I saw what he saw."

"What?" Bogg asked.

"A wall of water, 2 stories high, heading right for us. It smashed our house like it was an eggshell. The barn broke into pieces and I just rode on part of the roof as best I could. This is the first solid structure I've been on since our house disappeared." He stopped and shook his head, as though forbidding himself to remember more at the moment.

"Hey, come in here," a new voice called out. Bogg looked around and saw that a hole had been made in the roof and someone's head was poking up from the attic.

Victor started to move toward the voice and Bogg turned to Jeff. "You alright?" He put his hand gently on Jeff's arm, which was closest to him.

Jeff paused, he hadn't felt a touch like that or heard such concern in any voice since Bogg whispered to him at Kitty Hawk, and before that, from his parents. He didn't know how he should respond. He had lost control at Kitty Hawk, but now the situation was different, he could control himself better now. So he resisted the urge to reach out to Bogg. He knew that would be totally unacceptable to Aunt Elizabeth and couldn't take the risk that it might make Bogg feel uncomfortable too. "I'll live," he joked, wishing he could just give him a hug instead. Then he smiled and rubbed his hip.

"You got slammed around pretty hard," Bogg said, stating the obvious. He was sure the kid should be upset, but he didn't seem to be.

Jeff shrugged and swallowed hard. "What does the omni say?"

Bogg opened it and smiled. He held it out so Jeff could see the green light. "We did it."

"Time to move on then," Jeff said, reaching up to grab Bogg's arm. As he did, he winced, and immediately lowered his arm in surprise.

Taking it all in, Phineas reached down for Jeff's hand and took it in his. His last thought before pushing the button was that this was the most natural thing in the world.


	4. Rest Stop

**Chapter 4 Rest Stop**

**Afternoon**

They landed in the same cabin they had so recently left. "What're we doing back here?" Jeff asked as he got slowly to his feet. He felt very sore, but refused to admit that out loud. Bogg had a job to do and Jeff knew he had to keep up.

Bogg opened the omni and showed the green light to Jeff, "still a green zone, I hoped it would be."

"A green zone? What does that mean? I mean, to us? Why are we here when there's nothing to fix?"

Bogg pulled out a few sticks from the pile and tore some strands of bark to use as kindling. The embers were still warm. "It's just a place to rest and dry out," he told Jeff as he busied himself bringing the fire back to life.

"But I thought we had to fix history?"

"We're allowed to dry out and rest after where we just were," Bogg told him. He kept his eye on Jeff as they sat huddled around the fire. He seemed to be fine, but he had been dragged down over the rough edge of that roof and slammed into the building pretty hard, and then dragged back up across the edge of the roof again. That would have hurt anyone and Bogg wanted to be sure Jeffrey wasn't seriouly injured.

"Let me see your leg," Bogg asked.

"Huh?"

"Where Victor grabbed you."

Jeff pulled his pants leg up to reveal a swollen area near his ankle that was already purple.

"The skin's broken too," Phineas said scrutinizing it, and then taking a small package from his belt, he started to clean the area.

Jeff sat still and stared at his leg as Phineas worked. His mother had done the same thing, numerous times, and Jeff finally had to look away and force himself to think of something else to prevent tears from coming to his eyes. In all the time he was with Aunt Elizabeth, nothing she had done had reminded him of his parents. But with Bogg, it seemed that almost everything he did brought back painful memories. It didn't seem logical that he should want to stay with Bogg so badly, but he did.

"Sorry," Bogg said, glancing up at his charge and thinking that Jeff's reaction was due to the stinging of the antiseptic.

Jeff didn't answer, instead he forced himself to focus on this situation, here and now. He appreciated Bogg's care, more than he could put into words, but he couldn't afford to be such a problem. If he needed anything from Bogg, that would be trouble. He wondered how soon he could divert Bogg's attention from his injuries and back to fixing history.

"Now your arm."

Jeff sat still as Bogg reached for his right arm and gently turned his hand over to examine his forearm. "I held you so tight," Bogg started to say as he looked at a red area above Jeff's wrist. The skin wasn't brokem , but it would be bruised. He felt terrible as he looked at it.

"Good thing, too," Jeff answered.

"Victor was so heavy, I was scared I'd drop you, or that we'd both be pulled into the water."

Jeff stared at his new friend, "I didn't think Voyagers ever got scared."

"Everyone gets scared kid, even Voyagers. Sorry I hurt you."

"You didn't look scared when you flew the Wright Brother's glider," Jeff said, trying to change the subject away from his injuries.

"Where else are you hurt?" Bogg answered.

"Nowhere," Jeff said a bit too quickly.

"Well you've gotta be sore, why don't you lay down and rest for a bit," Bogg said.

"I don't need to..." Jeff interrupted.

Bogg stared at him and pictured him being slammed against the side of the building when Victor's weight fell on him. The kid had to have some aches and pains from that, yet he refused to acknowledge anything.

"That was a brave thing you did up on that roof," Bogg said.

Jeff stared at him uncomfortably. No one had ever told him he was brave before. His aunt had never given him any kind of compliment, and he didn't remember his parents ever saying he was brave. He swallowed, "thanks," he whispered.

"You saved his life. It's too bad we don't know who he is," Bogg said with a chuckle.

"He becomes a doctor and saves a lot of people. And he develops a cure for Leprosy," Jeff said automatically.

"How can you know that?" Bogg asked in awe.

"Well, he told us his name, and there weren't many survivors, and no other famous ones."

Bogg shook his head, "well, if you're gonna travel with me, you'll have to lay down when I tell you to. So lay down," and his tone was firm, so Jeff moved stiffly toward the cot and lay down to rest. Phineas could tell he was sore by the way he moved. "Now, I'll get us some more firewood and you can stay put."

Jeff stared at the fire for a long time after Bogg left. He hadn't felt kindness like this since his parents had died, and it felt good. He was still afraid that he had needed too much from Bogg and as the fire lulled him into a state of relaxation, he closed his eyes and vowed to try harder. His last thoughts were of his Aunt Elizabeth telling him scornfully, _"no one would want to be stuck with you, why did I have to be saddled with an 11-year old kid."_

Phineas finished gathering some more wood and stacked it beside the door, then hiked back to Roosevelt's encampment for some more food. They were breaking camp, so this would be the last food he'd be able to get from this place. He thought about Jeffrey as he walked back to the cabin. The kid was tough, and incredibly brave. His memory for historical facts was phenomenal. It seemed like he was meant to be a Voyager, and Bogg felt more strongly than ever that he wanted to keep the kid with him. He knew it was ridiculous, an 11-year old couldn't be a Voyager. He didn't want to think about how many rules he was breaking.

He heard the scream just as he reached for the cabin door. He rushed in and saw Jeffrey sitting up in bed, drenched in sweat, and shaking. He moved to the side of the bed and sat down, taking the boy in his arms.

"It's okay, it was just a dream," he whispered pulling Jeff close to his chest. He was shaking violently and he continued to sob as he took a few ragged breaths.

_Jeff tried to push the vision of the wreck and fire out of his mind, but it remained stubbornly at the center of his thoughts. He could see it so clearly, and hear his aunt's voice, and then another voice, a kinder voice telling him it was just a dream._

"I've got you, it was just a dream" Bogg whispered as he continued to hold Jeff tightly against his chest.

Suddenly Jeffrey's eyes opened. He felt strong arms protecting him and as he calmed down he could hear a heartbeat, Bogg's heartbeat. Reluctantly he lifted his head up and then sat up straight, "a dream?" he said and shivered. His breathing was still uneven and he reached up and wiped his eyes.

"Just a dream," Bogg repeated, leaving his hands on Jeff's shoulders.

Jeff nodded and swallowed, "I'm okay now, thanks," he said in a shaky voice and slowly moved away from the only emotional support he'd had in a very long time. He wanted to stay in Bogg's arms, it felt so good to be held, but he knew it wasn't something a stranger would want, after all, his own aunt didn't want any physical contact with him. So he pushed himself away and tried to hide his emotions the best he could.

"I'm sorry," he paused, "I wasn't tired enough, it won't happen again," Jeff spoke as they separated and he stood up. He walked toward the door, thinking he could bring some wood inside and stopped when a sudden pain shot through his leg. He paused and took a slow breath before continuing on, Bogg didn't need to know, he thought stubbornly.

Phineas watched him, certain he was stiff, but hoping he wasn't hurt badly. _I wasn't tired enough_, the phrase repeated itself in Bogg's head. It was an odd thing to say. He wondered what was going through Jeffrey's head and realized with surprise that his feelings were hurt when Jeff pushed him away. All he wanted to do was help, and he didn't think he was helping the kid at all. But why did he feel hurt? He shouldn't feel this way, should he?

Jeffrey stood outside in the yard, mentally recovering from the nightmare. It had been horrible, yet the thing most on his mind now was how right everything with Bogg had seemed. He wished Bogg was still holding him. Why did things seem so easy with him? He wondered what Bogg was thinking and why he was keeping Jeff with him when he was so much trouble. He had probably already made plans to get rid of him someplace. It was a good thing the omni kept getting stuck in the automatic mode, it would give Jeffrey more time to prove his help could be valuable. He refused to admit that it would all come to an end as soon as Bogg managed to get a new Guidebook.

"Hey, bring that sack in will ya? It's got lunch," he heard Bogg's voice from the cabin and looked around. Close to the door was a sack, undoubtedly dropped when Bogg had rushed back in due to Jeff's nightmare.

Jeff wiped his eyes one last time, picked up the sack and went back inside.

They ate in relative silence. Jeffrey wondering what Bogg was thinking, and Phineas wondering what was going through Jeff's mind.

"Don't we need to get back to work?" Jeff asked. He was afraid that if they stayed idle, he wouldn't be able to prove himself to Bogg, and now, after all the trouble he'd caused with his nightmare, he realized that he needed to do that more than ever.

"Well, you haven't had much of a rest," Phineas began, "but at least I know you can eat and move your arms and legs okay, so I guess we can get moving." He paused, "I know you're sore, so don't push yourself so hard."

Jeff froze, then took a deep breath, "okay, let's go," he finally answered, glad for another chance to redeem himself in Bogg's eyes.


	5. Silence

**Chapter 5 Silence**

**Afternoon **

"What's the date?" Jeff asked the familiar question after they landed. Bogg looked at him in surprise. They had landed on a steep, rocky hill and rolled to the bottom. Definitely not the most comfortable landing, yet the kid was upbeat, really he was too upbeat. Bogg knew he was sore, especially after their last voyage. He chose not to mention it. Instead he opened the omni and answered the question.

"October 16th, 1721, Boston, red light." He put the omni back on his belt. "Any ideas kid?"

Jeff glanced around and his eyes caught a young man, sitting by himself nearby. "Not yet, but he looks familiar," he said and started to walk toward him.

Bogg followed along, content to let the kid tackle the red light by himself.

As Jeff approached, he asked, "excuse me sir, you look familiar, can I ask your name?"

Bogg nodded to himself, the kid really did seem to be able to adapt to new situations.

The man looked up, a boy really, thought Bogg.

"No need to call me sir, it's Ben," and he extended his hand.

Jeff did the same "Jeffrey Jones, and this is Phineas Bogg."

"Ben Franklin," the young man finished.

Jeff smiled and almost couldn't get the next words out. Imagine knowing Benjamin Franklin and calling him Ben? "How are you?"

Franklin's expression changed as he answered, "that was the wrong question, Jeff."

Just then, a nearby door opened and another man, perhaps a few years older walked outside. "I thought you were supposed to come back inside after you delivered the papers?" he said in a hostile tone. He was very tall, a large man, and he towered over Ben. He wore his long dark hair tied in back at the base of his neck, in the style of the day.

Ben stood up, "I was on my way," he said and trudged inside.

As they watched, the door slammed closed and they found themselves alone. The sign above the door caught Jeff's eye and he read it aloud, "The New England Courant, I know that name, that was the first newspaper in Boston, well the first real one. It was started by Ben Franklin's brother, James." Jeff looked up at Bogg and smiled uncertainly, "but I'm not really sure what's wrong here."

"I think if we stick close to Ben, we'll find out." Bogg started toward the door of the newspaper office, "come on."

Inside they were greeted by loud, angry voices.

"You're head is in the clouds! No one would want to read anything you've got to say. Stick to your apprenticeship here and stay out of the writing end of things." The voice belonged to the man they had seen and heard earlier, and he balled up a piece of paper and threw it into the fireplace as he left through a rear door.

"Idiot!" Ben muttered at the door after his brother had slammed it closed.

After a short pause, Jeff spoke up, "so you want to write?"

"What's the difference," Ben answered bitterly. "He'll never print anything I have to say," and he started to clean up the desk. "He prints what his friends write, but he won't even listen to my ideas."

"Why don't you write something and give it to him to look at?" Bogg suggested.

Ben huffed, "already tried that," motioning toward the fire. "He wouldn't even read it."

"What do you want to write about?" Jeff asked.

"Lots of things."

"Like?"

"Well, for one thing, these hoop skirts the women wear. They aren't any good for anything, you can't even sit in church in them, or work in a kitchen. They are ridiculous ornaments that women are forced to wear. I know I can't change society, but I'd sure like to poke some fun at it."

He finished working and turned to them, "you two look hungry, come home with me and have a meal, my mother always has plenty."

Jeff looked at Bogg, and waited for him to make the decision. He wanted to go, but he had vowed to be as agreeable and as little trouble as possible to Bogg, and this seemed like the kind of thing Bogg should make the decision about.

"We'd appreciate that, thanks," Bogg answered and they followed Ben outside.

"You know," Jeffrey began as they walked, "if you did write something, you don't have to use your own name. Your brother would probably read it if someone else's name was on it."

Ben slowed down and finally stopped, deep in thought. "You're right! I could be anybody!" and he smiled broadly. "Thanks."

Jeff smiled too, and glanced at Bogg. He nodded toward the omni and Bogg's expression changed to one of confusion. He took the device off his belt and opened it, then showed the green light to Jeffrey.

"How'd that happen?" Bogg whispered as they lagged behind.

"Tell ya after lunch," Jeff answered as they entered a modest home.

They sat at a very large table and Ben gave each of them a biscuit and some cheese. He sliced an apple and shared it with them. "Mother will have more for supper," he explained as he reclined back, enjoying the food.

Soon after, a woman entered the kitchen and Ben introduced her as his mother.

Jeff put down what was left of the biscuit, aware of a strange, painful feeling in his chest at the site of Ben's mother. The smell of freshly baked biscuits and the woman's hand gently resting on Ben's arm brought Jeff's memories crashing down on him so suddenly that he almost couldn't catch his breath.

"We should leave now," he whispered as he got up and headed for the door, unable to tolerate being in the room any longer.

Bogg watched him go, then turned to Ben and noticed his mother staring at him strangely. "Thank you for the hospitality, but Jeff's right, we need to get moving. Nice to have met you," he finished and followed Jeff outside.

When he didn't see Jeffrey, he glanced around and decided to look in a wooded area on the side of the house. He felt sure that Ben's homey kitchen had brought back memories of Jeff's parents, probably his mother, and he suddenly needed to know that the kid was okay. He stopped when his eyes found the boy. He watched him wipe his eyes and stand up straighter as he took a deep breath. It was obvious that he didn't want Bogg to know he was upset, but why? He had every right to be upset, he was only eleven and the memories were still raw. Maybe Jeff was just a very private person, so Bogg should let him think he hadn't noticed how upset he was. It was against his better judgement, but he shook his head and stood still, wishing it could just be more straightforward.

Jeff noticed the smell of freshly baked biscuits and apples almost as soon as they had entered the kitchen. Without even closing his eyes, he could see his mother lifting a loaf of bread out of an oven. The warmth and smell brought him back 2 years in time so completely and so quickly that he struggled to keep his composure. He sat down at the table for as long as he could, but when Ben's mother touched his arm so gently, his stomach and chest grew so tight and painful that he thought he might cry. He murmured the best excuse he could, and headed for the door. Once outside, he headed for some trees on the side of the house, forcing his mind to focus on something...anything, to keep the memories at bay. He knew he couldn't let Bogg see him so upset.  
>He cast around for something to concentrate on, and settled on Ben Franklin. After all, Jeff knew a lot about him, he was a good subject to keep his mind occupied while his stomach and chest settled down. Jeff felt sure that, just like his Aunt Elizabeth, Bogg wouldn't want to have his routine interrupted by a kid who couldn't keep control of his emotions. He had already had a bad dream back in the cabin and though Bogg hadn't complained about it, he couldn't afford to be any more trouble. He took a deep breath and wiped a few tears from his eyes as he squared his shoulders.<p>

He turned when Bogg approached from behind. "Ready to go?" he said in what he hoped was a normal voice.

"Before we go, you have to tell me what made the light turn green?" Bogg asked.

Jeff smiled, now he could show Bogg that he could be valuable. "I gave him the idea for Silence Dogood," he said, and waited for a response.

"Silence? What? What does that mean?" Bogg asked.

"Ben began writing letters at night and signing them with the name of a fictional widow, Silence Dogood. Ben would sneak the letters under the print shop door at night so no one knew who was writing them. They were a smash hit, and everyone wanted to know who was the real Silence Dogood."

"What did he write?" Bogg asked. Learning history from the kid was a lot more interesting than from a lecture back at school, especially with Susan sitting right in front of him.

"Silence Dogood gave a lot of advice and was very critical of the times, especially about how women were treated. After 16 letters, Ben confessed that he had been writing the letters all along," Jeff paused, "I can stop any time."

Phineas chuckled and sat down on a rock, "keep going," he encouraged.

"James's friends thought Ben was really smart and funny, and James was jealous. They didn't get along after that, James even beat him sometimes. Finally Ben ran away to Philadelphia, and, well, the rest is history, so to speak." Jeff smiled at his own joke, hoping Bogg had heard the phrase before.

"Good story kid," Bogg said appreciatively.

"There was a smallpox epidemic too, between now and when he finally runs away. That was interesting too, but," Jeff paused when he noticed Bogg's eyes glazing over, "I can tell you about that some other time."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Bogg agreed. "Okay, grab on," and they disappeared.


	6. The Farm

**Chapter 6 The Farm**

**Evening**

They landed in a large haystack.

"Ha!" Bogg exclaimed in surprise. He glanced around, and quickly came to the conclusion that this was a safe and peaceful place.

Jeff was looking around quickly, in every direction.

"It's okay, we're safe here," Bogg reassured him.

"The last time we landed in a nice sweet-smelling haystack, the Red Baron started shooting at us, remember?" Jeff answered.

"August 15th, 1879, Dearborn, Michigan," Bogg said as he snapped the omni shut and slid to the base of the haystack. "Got any ideas, kid?"

Jeff slid down the haystack behind him, laughing as he landed on Bogg's feet. "This is like a playground back home," he said.

Phineas chuckled as he watched Jeffrey enjoying himself. _'We should find a park close to his time and have a little fun_,' he thought to himself. He was sure the kid could use the break. Phineas hadn't seen him relax once since they had been traveling together. It was bound to catch up with him. He watched as Jeff got slowly to his feet, moving stiffly.

"Well, he's probably why we're here," Jeff said interrupting Bogg's train of thought, as he pointed to a man who was working at a fence about 100 feet away.

"Go for it," Phineas said, pointing the way and following along as Jeff started walking toward the young man. Giving control of a situation to a civilian gave him a strange feeling, but oddly enough it didn't seem wrong.

"Hi," Jeff said.

The young man looked up even as he continued to plunge the tool into the soft ground. "Evening."

Jeff hesitated. It seemed that the man was intent on finishing his work. "I'm Jeffrey."

"Henry," the young man grunted as he worked.

"You're digging a hole for that fencepost, aren't you?" Jeff asked.

Henry paused in his work and wiped his forehead, staring at Jeffrey in astonishment. "More like a hundred. What else would I be doing?" he asked.

Jeff suddenly realized that his task would have been familiar to anyone from this time. Asking him about it drew attention to the fact that he and Bogg were different, and that was not a smart thing to do. Jeff bit his lip, unsure how to continue.

"Let me give you a hand," Bogg interjected. He took the tool from the boy and stabbed it expertly into the ground several times, withdrawing clumps of soil. "That should be good enough."

"Great," Henry answered as he turned and picked up a notched post that had been lying close by.

Phineas helped him ease it into the hole and together they pushed some nearby rocks into the hole to stabilize it.

Jeff wanted to help, he had to help, but he realized what needed to be done too late. Henry and Bogg had worked so quickly that the job was finished just as Jeffrey knelt down to help. He stared at Bogg anxiously, afraid to say anything and draw attention to the fact that he hadn't been able to help.

"That was the last one," Henry said, straightening up.

Bogg put out his hand, "Phineas Bogg," he introduced himself.

"Henry Ford."

Jeff's jaw dropped open as his mind raced to remember everything he could about Henry Ford.

The sky suddenly got dark and a gust of wind hit Jeffrey so hard that he had to take a step backward to keep from falling down. A loud clap of thunder followed.

"Good thing, looks like a storm's coming," Bogg said, and as if punctuating his thought, a second gust of wind raised part of the roof off a nearby barn and rattled a nearby shed.

Suddenly, another, more powerful gust hit them and a loud crack filled the air. Jeff looked up just in time to see a dark blur falling as a nearby tree split in two. Bogg dove toward him, pushing him hard.

They hit the ground side by side, Bogg's arm on top of Jeff's stomach. Shaken, Jeffrey sat up and stared at the spot where he'd been standing. Half of the tree lay there now, ten inches in diameter. It would have killed him.

"You okay?" he heard Bogg's voice through a fog.

"Y-yeah," he whispered.

"Henry?" Bogg asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was gonna cut that tree down next week, knew it would fall sooner or later."

"You can get up now, it's okay," Bogg whispered.

Jeff nodded and rose, "thanks," he whispered back. That had been a close call, closer than anything that had ever happened to him in New York, well, except the accident. But, somehow, he'd never thought about the accident as having been dangerous for him. For his parents, yes, but not for himself.

And with Henry Ford standing right beneath that tree, Bogg had chosen to save Jeff. The thought shocked him.

"This is a dangerous line of work," Bogg joked, putting his hand on Jeff's shoulder as he spoke to Henry. The kid looked upset, and Bogg wanted to keep his hand on him.

Henry smiled sadly, "I'd rather not do it, to tell you the truth."

"But you sound like you will anyway," Bogg observed.

"I have to. I'm the oldest, they all need me. My father needs me to help run the farm, my sisters need me since Ma died." He sighed and looked down at the ground.

A lump formed in Jeff's throat when Henry mentioned his mother, but he fought it back and spoke. How old are you?"

"16, why?"

Jeff pulled Bogg's arm and they walked a few feet away to talk.

"Bogg, Henry Ford left home when he was 16, he went to work in the city as an apprentice machinist," Jeff whispered.

"Are you sure?"

"Course I'm sure," Jeff answered and his tone left no room for doubt.

"It doesn't sound like he's going to leave," Bogg whispered back.

"I have an idea," Jeff said and walked back to Henry. "Aren't some parts of the year busier than others?" he asked.

"So?"

"Well, if you did leave, couldn't you come back to help when things were really busy?"

Henry stared at him, and then spoke slowly. "I, well, that's something to think about," he said after a pause.

"Good going," Bogg whispered into Jeff's ear.

Jeff looked up at him, a warm feeling spreading through his chest.

"I could come back for the harvest, maybe for a little time during planting," he hesitated, "I don't think Pa would take it very well though."

"Are you afraid of him?" Jeff asked.

"Afraid? No, why do you ask?"

"Then just tell him you need to leave," Jeff counseled.

Henry took a deep breath and said in a soft voice, "he's been so good to me, I don't think I could leave without his blessing, and I doubt he'd give it."

"You should discuss it with him, like men," Bogg added. "He deserves to understand how you feel."

Henry thought for a moment, and then nodded, "I will," as the first raindrops started to fall. He motioned for them to follow him toward the house as he spoke, "please come in and enjoy dessert with us."

As they followed Henry into the house, Bogg opened the omni and showed Jeff the green light. Jeff smiled at him, but didn't feel like he'd contributed very much to this solution. Phineas cocked his head, confused at Jeff's lack of enthusiasm. After all, they had made a great team on this voyage, each doing their part to solve the problem.

The dessert was delicious. Henry's sisters were excellent cooks, and his father was very welcoming, especially when he heard about Jeffrey's near miss with the falling tree limb. The storm raged outside as they ate, then suddenly there was silence.

"It's over already?" Jeff asked.

"You must be new around here, thunderstorms are common this time of year, they come and go quick," Henry explained.

As the meal ended, Henry asked to speak with his father in private and they retired to a room off the parlor.

It was only a short time before they returned and Mr. Ford called his five other children to gather around them, explaining that Henry would be going to the city to make a new life. As he explained, Henry's 5 siblings wrapped their arms around their father and brother. Mr. Ford pulled his oldest son to his chest and kissed the top of his head.

Jeff felt a pain in his chest as he watched the scene. He hadn't been expecting the man to show such tenderness to his son. He was older than Jeff was, yet his father hugged and kissed him and Henry hugged him back. Jeff's physical reaction was violent, he couldn't breath and his stomach tightened into a hard knot. He stood up and took a step back, pushing the chair. Desperately, he looked first off to the side, then at the floor, anywhere but at the family before him. He couldn't prevent the memories of his own father from invading his thoughts, and those memories contained horrid images and feelings. He forced them out of his mind and took another step back, glancing around, then quietly moved toward the kitchen, and eased himself out the back door, just as he had on their last voyage.

He couldn't let Bogg see him cry, that would be a big problem, and right now he thought he might break down very soon. Aunt Elizabeth's words rung in his head. She had told him enough times that being sad or upset was troublesome. She had wanted to get rid of Jeff, he'd overheard her say it so many times, but she couldn't find a place. But Jeff was sure that Bogg could find a place very easily if he ever wanted to get rid of him. And Jeff had decided back in Dayton that no matter what, he wasn't going to let that happen.

Once outside, a tear slid down his cheek, but he refused to make a sound, afraid someone might hear. He walked quickly across the yard to the barn, and once inside, he sat down on a bench and leaned forward, arms across his chest and stomach, and finally let out a sob.


	7. Honesty

_Author's Note: Chapter Five was named "Silence" not only because of Silence Dogood, but also because of the silence between Phineas and Jeff. In this chapter, Bogg finally takes action when he realizes that somehow, he has to open communication between them. _

**Chapter 7 Honesty**

Phineas watched the scene between Mr. Ford, Henry and the other children. He had seen Jeffrey move away from the table and exit silently through the back door. His intuition told him that Jeff was probably remembering his parents right now, and he knew that memory would be painful.

His thoughts strayed to his missing Guidebook, and how much trouble he would be in for losing it. Even so, he had to admit that being a Voyager was a lot more fun with a living Guidebook, than with an inanimate one. The problem was, he didn't know anything about kids, and not much about Jeff. He didn't know how he was supposed to take care of him, though so far it had seemed easy. He sighed and thought about the kid. He had left the room because he obviously wanted to be alone, and Bogg should respect that, shouldn't he?

On the other hand, he had suffered so much that he still had bad dreams. Up until now, Phineas hadn't said anything to him, but that was going to change. He had come to the conclusion that grief like this was just too much for a child to handle alone. So, whether it was right or wrong, Phineas started toward the back door, determined this time to intrude on Jeff's privacy.

He walked out and glanced around, then walked toward the barn. It seemed like the most likely place someone would go. He paused as he entered and listened. He could hear sniffing and ragged breathing and he walked forward and saw Jeff sitting on a bench, staring into a stall at one of the horses.

Bogg walked to the bench and sat beside him, unsure what to say since the kid never seemed to want to talk to him about how he was feeling. After a long pause, he asked, "would you do something for me?"

Jeff looked away and relaxed. He took a deep breath. He'd been afraid Bogg would ask him what was wrong, but he had obviously fooled him. He didn't know how upset Jeff had been just moments ago. "Sure," Jeff answered after clearing his throat. Bogg didn't seem to know it, but Jeff would do anything for him.

"Sit on my lap," Bogg said. Jeff looked up at him in surprise. "Come here," he continued and motioned with his hands.

Jeff paused, then climbed up and sat sideways on his lap wondering what Bogg had in mind.

"Now I have another favor to ask."

"What's that?" Jeff answered as he felt Bogg's hand on his back.

"Tell me why you're so upset?" Bogg was pretty sure he knew already, but he wanted to understand Jeff better, and give him a chance to talk.

Jeffrey tensed up immediately. "I'm not upset," he whispered, trying to keep his voice steady.

Bogg thought to himself a minute and then replied. "Okay, then tell me why you won't admit how upset you are?" His voice was soft and he brought his hand up to Jeff's shoulder and squeezed it as he spoke.

Jeffrey had been struggling to hold in his feelings, but this question was finally more than he could take. His shoulders shook as he sobbed and Phineas pulled him close, wrapping his arms around him. The physical contact made Jeff cry harder than he had since Kitty Hawk, and Phineas sat quietly, holding him as his body shook, and the closer and tighter Bogg held him, the more he sobbed.

They sat like that for awhile. Finally, Jeffrey was calmer and he rested against Bogg's chest feeling miserable. "My chest hurts," he whispered tearfully.

"Course it does," Phineas whispered back, his voice giving away his own emotions.

Jeff let those words settle on his mind. No one had ever said such a thing to him. It was strange to hear someone acknowledge his pain in such a straightforward way. And Bogg hadn't even hesitated. "Why do you say that?" he asked as he rested against Bogg's chest, listening to his heart beating.

"You lost your family. I saw what you saw in there. Seeing a family like that would make anyone think about their own family. And it would hurt." He let the silence last a long time, and Jeffrey felt new tears on his face. Again, his shoulders shook and he buried his face into Bogg's chest and felt his arms remain around him.

As he rested in Bogg's arms, the pain in his chest slowly disappeared. Unfortunately, he also felt miserable because he had vowed that he wouldn't be any trouble for Bogg, and now he had failed. He knew better than anyone how much trouble this was, his Aunt Elizabeth had told him often enough. Now, he was sure that Bogg would send him away. He had known almost from the beginning that he didn't want to leave this strange pirate. In all the months he'd lived with his aunt, he'd never felt a connection, not like he felt with Bogg after only a few days.

After a long time, Bogg finally spoke again, "there's something that I don't understand, and I'd really like you to tell me," he paused, "the truth, okay?"

Jeff took a shaky breath and sat up. He looked at Bogg and nodded. Whatever it was that Bogg wanted to know, he would tell him. He owed him that, "okay."

"Why do you hide your feelings from me?"

Jeff was shocked. Could he really tell Bogg? He'd been so much trouble tonight that it probably didn't matter anymore. Bogg would get rid of him now anyway.

"Because if I was any trouble, I knew you'd want to get rid of me."

"Rid of you?" Bogg asked in surprise. He had to admit to himself that he'd thought about it, in an abstract, fleeting kind of way, especially early on. But he'd never considered it at all in his heart. It seemed strange, but he realized it was true. "Why would you think that?" he asked.

"Aunt Elizabeth wanted to get rid of me. Every time I was sad, or cried, she told me how much trouble I was." He paused, "but she didn't have any place to send me." As he said the words his voice broke down, but he kept talking. "But you can send me anywhere, it would be easy."

Jeff leaned back and felt Bogg's arms surround him again. He wanted to hide inside his embrace and never have to face the world again. All he wanted was to be held, for as long as he could and he wanted to shout _'please keep me'_, but he had no energy left. It didn't matter anyway, he thought sadly, he was sure there was no way Bogg would keep him around now.

Phineas took a deep breath. His brain was reeling. Though he appeared calm on the outside, inside a multitude of emotions were crashing in on him. Anger toward Jeffrey's aunt was the first he could identify, other feelings were there too, but he was having trouble sorting them out. Suddenly, he felt an intense need to protect Jeffrey from any more emotional pain. He had never felt anything like this before, so he sat quietly, holding Jeff, who had settled back into is chest without making a sound.

He looked up, trying to clear his head and noticed an opening, high up on the barn wall. It was probably used for loading hay into the loft. He could see the dark sky and bright stars through the open space. It was hard to believe that a few hours ago there had been such a violent storm. He thought back to the limb that had fallen. He should've pushed Henry Ford out of harm's way, but instead, he had only cared about saving Jeff. Luckily, Henry had been able to save himself, but what if he hadn't? What would a Tribunal say about him saving the kid, instead of a major historical figure? Phineas knew the answer to that question. They would say he was unstable in the field. That he couldn't be counted on to do the job. He'd be recalled, and he didn't know what that would entail. He wasn't qualified to be anything other than a Field Worker. What would happen to him? What would happen to Jeff?

All of a sudden he saw a shooting star streak across the sky. He kept looking and saw many more over the next few minutes. In some cultures, that would be viewed as a sign from heaven. Bogg smiled in amusement; the Voyager Code didn't say anything about shooting stars. What would headquarters think if they knew what was happening to him? That he was crazy to be thinking about shooting stars? Voyaging with a civilian wasn't allowed, yet here he was voyaging with a child. Yet the kid really was something special, and his situation was unique.

What the Code did say, is that he should put Jeffrey back in his own time as soon as he could, or get him to headquarters so they could do it. But he just couldn't bring himself to do that. The kid had never mentioned missing home, or anyone missing him. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he didn't have any emotional attachment to anyone from his own time. And now that Phineas had found out a little about his aunt, there was no way he would bring Jeff back to live with her. There had to be another solution.

But he couldn't just leave him somewhere else either, because the other feeling that he'd just sorted out was that holding Jeffrey like this just felt right. He had a very strong feeling that he was where he was supposed to be, doing what he was supposed to be doing. In Voyager terms, he felt that his life, like it was right now, was a green light. Yet he was violating the Code. His feelings seemed so simple, yet the situation seemed so complicated.

"After that bad dream you had, why did you say you weren't tired enough?"

Jeff took a shaky breath. "When I'm really tired I don't have bad dreams."

"Is that why you work so hard? So you're really tired?"

Jeff nodded.

"So you've been running to do every chore so you'd be tired?"

"Yeah."

"And you weren't showing me your feelings because you didn't want to be any trouble?"

"Uh huh," Jeff whispered, unmoving, still resting heavily against Bogg's chest.

"Because you thought I'd get rid of you if you were any trouble?" Bogg could feel Jeff's head nodding against his chest in answer. He thought for a long time before he spoke again. "And you think that this," he paused, "is trouble?"

Jeff nodded again.

"Kid, this isn't trouble, this feels right to me. This is honest. I'd rather have honesty than anything else."

Jeffrey opened his eyes in surprise, and sat up. Could he have heard wrong? "Aunt Elizabeth wouldn't ever say that."

"Well, I'm not your aunt, so don't expect me to think like her. As far as I'm concerned, being honest with each other is the most important thing."

Jeff stared at him, afraid to believe what he thought Bogg was saying.

Phineas stared back at him and realized he would have to be blunt. "I want you to stay with me. It just feels right. Okay?"

Jeff turned in his lap and stared seriously at Bogg. "Really?"

"Really."

Jeff put his arms around Bogg's neck. Their hug lasted a long time, and Phineas found himself shedding a few tears. When they let go, Phineas showed Jeff the view of the sky and they watched together as several more shooting stars crossed the dark sky.

"It's kind of like the heavens approve, isn't it?" Bogg asked, and Jeff smiled.

"Actually, during this time of year the Perseid meteor showers usually..."

"Isn't it?" Bogg interrupted loudly, and Jeff stopped.

"Yeah," Jeff agreed and settled back against Bogg's chest with a smile to watch the heavenly show.


	8. Home

**Chapter 8 Home**

**Late Evening**

They sat together, watching the meteor shower for a long time and in the quiet, Jeff could hear Bogg's heartbeat again. He couldn't remember ever feeling so worn out. Finally he heard muffled sounds from Bogg's chest and realized he must be talking, but Jeff couldn't seem to make out the words.

"That was a big one," Phineas said after a particularly bright star streaked across the sky. When Jeff didn't answer, he looked down at him and realized he had fallen asleep.

He continued to sit, holding Jeffrey, who was now dead weight in his arms. He'd held children like this before, during rescue missions, and in other emergencies, but this was so different. Jeffrey depended on him like no one ever had before and he felt suddenly scared of the future.

He pictured his Guidebook, and could hear Professor Garth's words echoing in his head as he lectured about the Voyager Code. He thought of the golden tablet, how it was mounted on the wall at headquarters and how the Preamble to the Voyager Code was carved into it in block letters. He forced himself to stop thinking about his way of life. Then, filling the gap in his mind, he pictured Jeffrey, scrambling so quickly to fetch water from the stream in order to be useful, and struggling to hold in his emotions outside Ben Franklin's house, just so he wouldn't be any trouble. No wonder he was so exhausted, just the effort of controlling his emotions alone would be exhausting, not to mention all the physical work he'd been doing.

And none of it made sense to Bogg. Why should he be the one sitting here holding Jeffrey? Some other Voyager whose omni went up to 1982 should have been sent to Jeff's room. But that hadn't happened, and now events were sweeping him along on an unplanned and unfamiliar path and he felt powerless to control them. He looked down at Jeff again, and swore to himself that he would protect him with every ounce of his strength. He was being swept along too. They were both in this together now, and whatever the future held, he wouldn't let Jeffrey face it alone. He stood up carefully, determined not to disturb his sleep and carried him slowly toward the house, still without a clue about what it all meant.

**Night**

As Phineas approached the back door, it opened and Mr. Ford stepped out. "I was just going to look for you." His eyes traveled to Jeffrey's face as he grasped the situation, "we don't have much room, but you're welcome to stay the night."

Bogg stopped as he approached, "I'd really appreciate that, thanks," he said and followed the man inside. Mr. Ford showed him into a room off the kitchen where one bed sat in a corner. Bogg entered and waited as Mr. Ford pulled the covers down. "This is our sick room, I'm afraid we only have the one bed. In the bureau you'll find some night clothes."

"This'll be fine, thank you."

After the door closed, Bogg put Jeff into the bed, then stood staring awkwardly him. He'd never put a child to bed before. What was he supposed to do?

He slipped his sneakers off and set them beside the bed, then got a nightshirt out of the drawer. He moved Jeffrey's arm gently to slip off his shirt, remembering Johnstown and noticed quite a few bruises on his right side. After easing the nightshirt on, he slipped his pants off and pulled up the covers. Then he settled down in a chair and took off his own boots. He leaned back and put his legs up on the foot of the bed, trying to get comfortable enough to sleep. Luckily, his mind had stopped churning, he still didn't know what to do, but the practical part of his brain knew that there wouldn't be a solution tonight. Right now, they both needed sleep, and Phineas had always been very practical.

**Morning**

Jeff opened his eyes and stared out into the simply decorated room. He was alone. He remembered being in the barn with Bogg and watching the meteor shower. He must have fallen asleep, he had no memory of how he got undressed and into this comfortable bed. This must be Henry Ford's house, and Bogg must have put him to bed.

He dressed quickly and found his way into the kitchen. Henry and his sisters stopped talking as he approached.

"Mornin," Henry said.

"Morning," Jeff answered, fighting a wave of panic. Bogg had left him, he was sure of it. Now that he thought about it, it made so much sense. Jeff could help with the farm chores while Henry was gone. His mind went blank, what would he do without Bogg?

"Pa? He's up," one of Henry's sisters called out.

Almost immediately, Mr. Ford walked through the door.

"Where's Bogg?" Jeff asked him immediately, and the man motioned toward the front door of the house. Jeff ran outside, sure Bogg was gone, yet still needing to search. He looked around and when he didn't see anyone, his stomach turned over and a lump formed in his throat. Bogg had left him. Last night he was too much trouble. He'd known it as soon as he woke up, but he'd thought that maybe...

"Morning," Phineas called out as he came around the side of the house. Then, "you okay?" he asked as he noticed Jeff's expression.

Jeff ran to him and jumped into his arms and Phineas held him tight for a moment before putting him down.

"What's wrong?" he asked again.

Jeff hesitated, realizing it was time to be honest. "I thought you were gone."

"It would be pretty cowardly to sneak off without even saying goodbye, don't ya think?" Bogg asked.

Jeff looked at the ground, his emotions in a turmoil. Had he just called Bogg a coward? He didn't know what to say.

Phineas knelt down in front of him and pulled his chin up. "I won't leave you," he said simply when their eyes met. He hoped he could keep that promise, but the truth was that Field Workers were on the lowest rung of the Voyagers hierarchy and there could theoretically come a time when he might be forced to break it. As he looked at Jeffrey, he decided not to let him know that. All he needed to know right now was that Phineas wasn't going anywhere without him.

Jeff moved to him immediately and gave him another hug, relief flooding through him. "So why were you out here?"

"Just cutting up that tree for firewood. He let us stay the night, it's the least I could do." Bogg had been more than happy to help in cutting up the tree this morning, and as he labored, he had reached a decision. His omni still worked, and history still needed fixing, so that's what he and Jeff would do, fix history ... together. Right or wrong.

"They have been pretty nice to us," Jeff conceded.

As if on cue, Mr. Ford opened the door and called to them. "Come on in for breakfast, you aren't leaving until you've eaten."

Henry's sisters had piled a plateful of food in the center of the table and they all sat down together and ate.

After he finished, Jeff looked up at Bogg and saw him staring at the wall. He turned his head so he too could read the saying embroidered onto a rough, homespun cloth, which hung there in a frame.

It read: _A home isn't four walls; it's a place where you get strength to go on_.

Henry noticed them looking at the quaint needlepoint. "My mother embroidered it, it was one of her favorite sayings."

"It's nice," Bogg said.

Jeff read and re-read it silently several times. Last evening, inside Bogg's embrace, he had found the strength to go on. He'd never thought of home like that before. Maybe it was true. Then he nodded to himself, of course it was true, but it seemed more true for him, right now, than it could possibly be for anyone else on earth.

_The End ... actually, just the beginning ..._

_Author's Note:_

_As I said at the beginning of this story, I wanted to try my hand at writing different points of view. So I did my best to explain how each of them felt about the different situations they were in._

_Sometimes a certain phrase will just sing to me and one from this chapter did just that. It was: "Events were sweeping him along on an unplanned and unfamiliar path and he felt powerless to control them". It seemed to capture poor Bogg's situation so well. To me anyway. Another phrase I felt that way about was in chapter 7, "...and the closer and tighter Bogg held him, the more he sobbed."_

_I couldn't believe it when I came across that saying that hung over the fireplace in Henry Ford's home. It fits so well with the image of Bogg being Jeff's home, which many of us have explored on this site, in different stories and even a poem._


End file.
